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Couch potatoes unite! Scientists working on “exercise” pill

Scientists say exercise pills in development to build muscle are for stroke patients and those suffering paralysis – not you couch potatoes!

An exercise pill – a way to pharmaceutically workout without the hassle of actually finding the time and going to the gym – might be the answer to every couch potato addicted to Netflix and Sunday Night Football’s dream. But this pill isn’t meant for them: an exercise pill would primarily benefit people who are paralyzed or had a stroke, or patients with spinal cord injuries, for example, and that’s good news.

In something out of Brave New World, researchers are now starting to develop a pill that would help patients get the benefits of exercise, such as muscle growth, even when at rest.

Trials of the exercise pill are ongoing with animals. Let’s hope they don’t result in super muscular pets. (Photo courtesy of Creative Commons)

Test trials with animals are already underway but the thought of super muscular guinea pigs or chimps is kind of disturbing.

“They’ll let you get muscles that are stronger and faster and reach exercise goals much quicker,” said Ismail Laher, co-author of the study from University of British Columbia in Canada in this story from Time.

According to a new review in Trends in Pharmacological Sciences. “This is an achievable goal based on our improved understanding of the molecular targets of physical exercise,” said co-author Ismail Laher in a release.